50 Fine Books from Shapero Rare Books

Here is what Shapero describes as “the most magnificent of nurserymen's catalogues.” It would be hard to argue with that judgment. It is Robert Furber's Twelve Months of Flowers, published 1730-1732. Members of the Society of Gardeners would bring specimens or drawings of flowers to show other members at their meetings. Furber, who ran a nursery in London, outdid them all with this spectacular collection of twelve illustrations. He hired artist Pieter Casteels to draw these large selections of flowers placed in a vase, one image for each month. Each vase had at least 30 flowers, all available from Furber's nursery. While created for florists, the images were so beautiful that they were made available for sale to others. £55,000 (US $91,585).

Shapero Rare Books may be reached at +44 207 493 0876 or rarebooks@shapero.com. Their website is www.shapero.com.